The 22 Lions Podcast: AI, Self-Publishing and Book Empire Secrets

Most authors sit on goldmine chapters that never earn beyond the book itself. In this focused 8-minute monologue Aria walks through a practical, low-effort system to extract four sellable assets from one chapter: a high-converting lead magnet, a short micro-course, an audiobook companion sample, and a paid digital bundle for fans. You’ll get a clear sequence of tasks you can finish in a single aft...

Most authors treat KDP pre-orders as an optional checkbox. This episode turns pre-orders into a deliberate launch engine you can set up in days. Dan Desmarques lays out a five-step Pre-Order Playbook that walks authors through positioning, timed content releases, pre-launch ad cadence, email funnel sequences, pricing tactics for conversion, and a simple review-timing system that nudges Amazon rank...

Most authors underestimate the selling power of a great audiobook sample. This episode gives a step-by-step, production-first blueprint to choose the right excerpt, produce or polish a narrator sample (human or responsibly used AI), and convert it into short audiograms and ad clips that increase conversions on Audible, Amazon, and social. You get numbered, actionable steps, a short case example sh...

Great cover design is the single highest-impact conversion lever most authors underuse. In this 8-minute, step-by-step monologue Dan Desmarques walks you through a Cover Conversion Lab you can run in days: generate multiple, rights-safe cover variants with AI-assisted prompts, score them with a simple checklist and on-platform signals, validate winners with low-cost ad and traffic tests, and push...

Authors struggle to launch effective ads because creative is inconsistent, testing is unfocused, and budgets leak on weak variants. This episode delivers a tight, five-step, AI-assisted framework authors can use today to produce ad-ready headlines, images/video concepts, short-form copy, audience hooks, and simple tracking — all optimized for Amazon Ads, Facebook/Meta, and newsletter funnels. I wa...

Stop publishing one-size-fits-all previews and start delivering targeted excerpts that convert. This episode walks authors through a practical, AI-friendly system to create personalized excerpt funnels: identify high-value reader segments, generate short tailored excerpts that match each segment’s pain points or desires, deploy those excerpts as lead magnets and ad creatives, then measure and scal...

Cut a single manuscript into a profitable mini-series: this 8-minute monologue walks authors through a five-step, repeatable system to create multiple micro-books from one core idea—each optimized for KDP, Kindle Unlimited, and audio—so you publish faster, test covers and pricing, and compound revenue across formats. I’ll explain the five steps (core idea mapping; AI-assisted microdrafting and tem...

This episode teaches a repeatable five-step "Preorder Profit Engine" authors can execute during a short prelaunch window to convert preorders into customers, email subscribers, audiobook leads and long-term funnel buyers. I walk through planning a tiered preorder bonus ladder, building an AI-assisted landing page and email sequence, configuring KDP preorders and Amazon-specific metadata, staging a...

Unlock the hidden discoverability levers inside your KDP dashboard: metadata. In this episode Dan Desmarques walks authors through a concise, five-step metadata audit that makes your book both findable by the right readers and clickable in Amazon search results. You’ll get practical instructions for keyword research, title and subtitle formulas that convert, choosing BISAC and Amazon categories th...

This episode walks authors through a repeatable, low-friction 'pricing staircase'—a sequence of five micro-tests you can run in under two weeks to discover the profit-maximizing price and the right Kindle Unlimited strategy for any title. I outline five numbered steps: prepare test variants, schedule controlled price windows, amplify with targeted low-cost promos or Amazon Ads, measure the right m...

If your older titles feel forgotten, they’re actually untapped cash flow. This episode gives a concise, execution-focused five-step sprint to reboot a backlist title and generate measurable revenue in weeks. You’ll get a clear audit framework, a productization checklist (bundles, workbooks, audio extras), metadata and KDP optimization steps, a low-cost relaunch funnel using email + Amazon Ads, and...

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Most authors treat price as an afterthought. In this 8-minute episode Dan Desmarques walks you through a disciplined, five-step KDP pricing architecture authors use to increase royalties, boost visibility, and create predictable income across formats. You’ll hear clear, numbered steps: set a value-based baseline, design tiered products and bundles that retain perceived value, run low-cost A/B pric...

Many authors publish a single format and miss the easiest revenue opportunities: packaging complementary products into a single, higher-value offer. In this 8-minute monologue you'll get a practical, five-step playbook to design, price, and launch a multi-format book bundle that converts readers into repeat buyers and course students. You'll learn how to choose the right formats for your book, use...

Many authors measure success by units sold—this episode flips that lens and teaches you how to raise the revenue you get from each reader. In a tight, step-by-step monologue you'll learn a repeatable process I call 'royalty stacking': auditing your current per-reader yield, choosing the right KDP pricing and KU strategy, turning books into profitable audiobooks without crippling royalty splits, cr...

In this 8-minute, action-first monologue Dan Desmarques delivers a compact, five-step blueprint to create and scale a recognizable author voice across every customer touchpoint—book interiors, blurbs, Amazon ads, email sequences, and audiobooks. You’ll get a clear definition of what ‘author voice’ actually means for publishing businesses, concrete AI prompt templates to generate on-brand copy, a l...

Feeling stuck juggling writing, edits, cover design, and marketing? This episode gives a practical, five-step, AI-friendly outsourcing system that helps authors scale from one book a year to a reliable multi-title engine. You’ll get clear hiring templates, quality-control checklists, AI-assisted briefs to speed onboarding, pricing guardrails, and a simple project-management cadence that preserves...

This episode teaches authors a practical, repeatable audio-first approach: instead of treating audio as an afterthought, prioritize production and funnel design to amplify discoverability and revenue. In five clear steps you’ll cover rights and budget decisions, narrator casting (including ethical AI voice options), audio-friendly edits, distribution choices (ACX, Audible, direct sale), and launch...

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Take a top-selling book and turn it into a tactical, repeatable funnel you can copy for your own titles. In this 8-minute monologue Aria Pride (drawing on Dan Desmarques' KDP and funnel playbook) walks authors through a five-step reverse-engineering method: analyze discoverability signals, extract high-converting title/subtitle and cover cues, map pricing and format ladders, reproduce the review-a...

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Stop guessing what to say in Amazon and social ads. This 8-minute, professional monologue gives authors three proven, ethical ad creative blueprints—Discovery Ad, Social Teaser, and Audio Trailer—each with step-by-step copy beats, production notes, and a quick split-test plan. You’ll hear numbered steps to write each script, a compact case study showing how one 22 Lions author lifted CTR and conve...

Struggling to get momentum on launch day? This episode delivers a compact, repeatable system you can implement in one week: a Launch Day Reader Engine that recruits 100 engaged readers, assigns simple launch tasks, and converts their activity into measurable KDP momentum. You’ll get a clear 5-part blueprint: (1) where to recruit qualified readers, (2) exact onboarding language and task templates,...

{"title":"Ad-Slicer: 3 AI Tricks to Cut Amazon Ad Waste and Boost KDP Profits","one_liner":"A concrete, 3-step AI-powered framework to stop wasting Amazon ad spend, harvest profitable search terms, and reallocate budget to high-ROI KDP listings — all in an evening.","description":"Too many indie authors pour money into Amazon ads without a repeatable method to stop waste. In this 8-minute monologu...

{"title":"Audiobook Conversion Sprint: Produce a High-Converting ACX Bundle in 8 Minutes","one_liner":"A focused, 8-minute monologue that teaches authors a step-by-step sprint to produce, package, and market an audiobook preview bundle that improves conversions, boosts Audible uptake, and increases author revenue.","description":"Turn your book's audio presence from an afterthought into a conversi...